


Bearing his Heart

by letmedrinkthedae



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:49:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letmedrinkthedae/pseuds/letmedrinkthedae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day approaches and heart shaped everything floods store shelves. Richard can't help but gravitate toward the classic teddy bear, which he unconsciously buys - not for himself but maybe for his heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bearing his Heart

February curled around Palo Alto and blanketed the entire state in a subtle chill. Richard, who faced much harsher winds from his CEO chair, failed to notice the change in season and barely registered the passage of time as anything more than approaching deadlines. He only responded to the needs of his body, his home, and his company (not in that order and not to the agents of the weather.) In trying to satisfy these needs, Richard pushed his cart towards the front registers of his local Wal-Mart.

His cart brimmed with toiletries and microwavables. The hostel needed supplies and the complete mundanity of grocery shopping brought mundanity back into his life.

Flashy products flanked the long row of cashiers in a last ditch attempt to boost sales. Candy, chips, coffee, and five dollar films flooded the sidelines, all wearing alluring colors and clever packaging. Richard lingered and allowed his eyes to slide across the commodities. Due to the season, Valentine themed products consumed the shelves. He noticed heart shaped balloons bobbing against relentless gravity. Heart shaped candy boxes leaned on the racks alongside entire taxons of stuffed animals, clutching heart shaped pillows to their chests.

He, without thought, picked up a bear with tawny mohair fur almost matching the hue of his own hair. It bore no indication of any Valentine’s Day motifs. No hearts, no kisses, no “I love you beary much” puns. Instead it had a green, checkered bow wrung around its neck and glossy eyes that captured a tender luster.

Richard put the toy into his cart, alongside deodorant and double stuffed Oreos and championed it through the store’s self-checkout line.

By the time he arrived back at the hostel, a quietude had settled over the early afternoon. Bright sunlight shone through the window shades and trapped floating dust like honey. Richard stole into the kitchen and dropped his bags on the island. Jared strode in, clutching his tablet with both hands. He smiled at the sight of Richard’s back and as he did so, his eyes somehow grew larger.

“There you are,” he said. Richard jerked a little in response to the sound.

He’d searched for Richard under the pretext of ironing out Pied Piper’s marketing strategies. Jared took a seat at the counter and Richard listened to his one sided discourse while putting away the groceries. Eventually, he placed all the food items in their rightful places and found the bear at the bottom of one of the bags. He’d almost forgotten that he had bought it. It was a decision that was conceived, approved, and enacted by the back of his head. He hadn’t known why he’d gotten it while at the store, but now, as he listened to the hum of Jared’s voice, he suddenly knew for whom he bought it.

He picked it up and out of the bag and slid it across the island toward Jared, before balling the plastic bag and stuffing it into another plastic bag they kept hanging on a cabinet knob.

Jared lifted the teddy bear off the counter top and eyed it. He cocked his head and a smile burgeoned on the side corner of his mouth. “What’s this?”

Richard shrugged and looked down. “I just saw it at the store this morning and thought of you.” With his chin still facing the tile, he let his eyes travel up to see Jared’s expression. A moment was all he needed before furrowing his brows and lowering his stare. Jared placed the tablet on the counter and held the bear with great care. “I—,” he paused and Jared slid his gaze from the toy to his friend. “I, uh, remembered the whole Winnie anecdote and I don’t know. (Another shrug coupled with a grimace saturated in feigned nonchalance.) I thought you’d like it.” Richard hadn’t thought much of the act. However, Jared did.

“No, no. Don’t cry. Please. It’s not that big of a deal.” Jared pressed the stuffed animal to his chest. He looked up at Richard with an awkward half smile half pout and wrinkled around the eyes. He nodded with fervor and summoned more surface area for the sheets of ice shrouding his irises—urging for a more composed expression. He gulped down his tears. They went down, searing through his throat and lodging themselves beside his tender (and anatomically correct) heart. He drew in a sharp and long breath.

“Thank you, Richard, sincerely,” he said. “It was a very kind thought. I’m touched.” His tone managed to sound as measured as if he were talking about implementing staff support. Richard, of course, shrugged in response.

“Well, it’s no problem, really. I’m glad you like it.”

Richard left the room in the wake of his words to dispense the toiletries in the bathroom. Jared allowed himself the reprieve of a few tears. He looked again down at the bear, squeezing the stomach with both hands. He felt something inside—something hard, something large. Something like a button.

“I love you, Valentine.” It said.


End file.
